


Azaleas

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 22:46:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5393084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Fine then. We'll go to Vance, confess to the murder of the azaleas jointly. He'll get us off."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Azaleas

When the bullets started flying at the crime scene they were working, no one thought more of it than grumbling and griping at the local LEOs who were supposed to keep the scene safe. The fact that several of the bullets had come very close to actually hitting one Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Jr., well, everyone knew that things like that just seemed to happen to Tony. Gibbs fixed his usual death glare on the watchers and the LEOs the remainder of the time they were there, but only after forcibly checking Tony over himself to ensure there were no holes in the younger man and that Tony wasn't lying when he assured Gibbs that he was fine.

The Charger's engine practically exploding a few days later, that could have been a coincidence. Gibbs and Ziva had been splitting most of the driving in their usually allotted company car, and everybody knew that no engine could survive that kind of treatment for long without some serious damage. It was just bad luck that it happened when Tony had taken the car to pick up the team's lunch that day, and when Tony called to inform Gibbs that lunch would be late and exactly why it would be late, Gibbs yelled for McGee and Ziva to stay at the office as he rushed to the elevator and the garage to pick up the lunch - and Tony - after making sure that Tony was alright. Spinning a pretty tale once back in the office, Tony still did not manage to completely persuade his teammates that this had nothing to do with his 'car-killer' reputation, but everything with the excessive driving styles of Gibbs and Ziva.

Of course, when yet another couple of days later, on his way back from work, Tony's own car's brakes stopped working and he just barely managed to throw himself out of the speeding vehicle before it wrapped itself spectacularly around a tree, he knew his reputation regarding cars was cemented and unsalvageable anyway, and all the effort he'd put into deflecting what had happened with the Charger had been wasted. But as he was carefully approaching the wreck, intending to salvage his gear and coat, he felt a shimmer of doubt in his gut. 

The gun shots at the crime scene, that was nothing new. They'd all been shot at before, even at scenes, but Tony had been standing apart from the others taking photographs, and the bullets only came close to him. The Charger could have happened to anyone too, Tony hadn't been kidding about the torture the engine had been put through lately. Tony had complained quite extensively the day before that he would have to be the one to pick up lunch for everyone the next day, since Ziva's attempt to entice them all with exotic treats had utterly failed as far as Tony was concerned, and he was not wasting another lunch on food he didn't like and couldn't pronounce. He and Gibbs had taken the car out earlier that morning to go interview a family member, and nothing had been wrong then, but when Tony was alone in the car - and driving carefully, thank you - suddenly the engine exploded? And now his own car… his new baby had had some things wrong with her in the few months he'd had her, but the brakes had been checked out just a couple of weeks ago, and he trusted his mechanic. Was all this really just a coincidence? Gibbs didn't believe in them, and neither did Tony. Taking out his phone, Tony hit speed dial.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Boss? I think I'm in trouble."

"What happened, DiNozzo?"

And Gibbs was already on his way before Tony could even really start explaining where he was, what had happened to his car, and the feeling in his gut.

"So, I'm thinking, it's a bit much to be just a coincidence, Gibbs."

"Ya think?!"

Gibbs knew he didn't need to tell Tony to find a place he could take cover, but not to go inside someplace he could be trapped in, and just kept up a steady silence on the phone, only broken by an occasional reassuring grunt.

"Nearly there, Tony."

Arriving at the scene, Gibbs winced at the sight of the wreck, and glared at the LEOs already present, obviously called by gawking bystanders who were filming the scene with their phones. Parking his car in a somewhat secluded spot a few houses away from the accident, Gibbs looked around.

"Where are you, DiNozzo?"

But then he heard the car door, and Tony's voice came more from the back of his car than through the phone.

"Right behind you, Boss."

Snapping his phone shut, Gibbs turned in his seat and raked his eyes over the younger man now sprawled over his back seat, keeping himself out of sight.

"You okay?"

"I'm not liking this, Gibbs! Who did I piss off now?"

Despite himself, Gibbs quirked his lips in amusement.

"Probably a long list, DiNozzo. Must be your personality and charm."

Seeing the sparkle appear in Tony's eyes, Gibbs knew his remark had done it's job, and he actually smiled a half smile when Tony playfully swatted his shoulder and grinned.

"That's why you love me, Boss."

With a short nod, Gibbs turned his attention back to the wreck and the scene. 

"Stay here, stay down. I'll be right back."

Knowing what his Boss was doing, Tony didn't need to peek outside to watch Gibbs show his badge and glare his way to the officer in charge, take over the scene claiming that since the car belonged to an NCIS agent, it was NCIS jurisdiction, and make a quick call to Vance to get Balboa's team out there, something the Director agreed to when he heard Gibbs' suspicions. Normally, Gibbs would have waited for Balboa to arrive on the scene before leaving himself, but he wanted to get Tony off the street, and he sighed in relief when he spotted an older LEO he'd actually become friendly with a few years ago after getting a grudging respect for the honesty of the man. A quick word later, Gibbs left the scene in the LEO's honest and capable hands until Balboa arrived, and flung himself into his driver's seat again.

"Everything set, Boss?"

"Balboa's coming, Vance agreed."

Tony let out a deep breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. That Gibbs would trust Tony's gut telling him there was something hinky going on was one thing, but that Vance had agreed was quite another. Of course, Tony suspected Gibbs had probably threatened Leon in some non-verbal-but-still-effective-over-the-phone-way that Tony himself would never ever master, but still… it relaxed him somewhat to know that he would not be without support in whatever this would turn out to be.

"So, where to now, Gibbs?"

"Your place."

That made Tony raise his head from back seat and stare at Gibbs in wonder for a moment. His place? But…

The thoughts were interrupted by a head slap that Gibbs delivered without looking behind him. How could he even bend his arm that way? Another wonder for the ages. Tony winced out of habit at the slap, even though it had been more of a tap, and made eye contact with Gibbs in the rearview mirror when the man said his name.

"Tony… I don't want you there at all anymore. We'll go pick up the last of the most important stuff now, then hire someone to pack up the rest later. Not letting you out of my sight again. Especially not now."

The smile that had disappeared earlier slid back onto Tony's face, and he nodded, then gave a soft squeeze to Gibbs' shoulder.

"Gotcha, Gibbs."

Gibbs shook his head with a small chuckle, then deliberately replaced his amused expression with a scowl.

"DiNozzo! Did I or did I not tell you to stay down and keep out of sight?!" 

"Yes, Boss!"

But Gibbs saw Tony's eyes sparkling with amusement and joy as he automatically responded to the yelled bark, and heard the younger man's chuckles as he sprawled out low onto the back seat again. As soon as Tony was down, Gibbs let his own expression soften from the fake scowl to soft contentment while he drove the last few miles to Tony's apartment. 

That contentment faded away as soon as he spotted lights of fire trucks when he turned onto Tony's street. No way. This was far too much of a coincidence. With a sinking feeling, Gibbs quietly spoke.

"Tony… I want you to stay in the car, okay? And keep hiding."

"But I thought…?"

"There are fire trucks here, Tony."

The sudden silence from the back seat told him he didn't need to say anything further. Tony understood.

Gibbs drove past Tony's building and a further block, then turned onto a side street and found a covered and darkened place for him to park. Reminding Tony to stay in the car, Gibbs quickly walked back to Tony's building and again used his badge and death glare to get the information he wanted. Only a few minutes later, he was jogging back to the car, relieved when he found Tony still safely hidden inside it.

"Well?"

"Not too bad."

"What does that mean?"

"It was a fire, but your next door neighbor, who looks after the place as long as you're not there, she came back with groceries and smelled smoke. Took immediate action. Fire department came, had everything under control soon. Fire chief said most of your stuff is salvageable. It was a slow burning fire that they got to quickly thanks to your neighbor, and most of your place wasn't even affected. Don't have any more details than that, except…"

"Except…?"

"Fire chief said it looked deliberate."

Tony humphed and whispered under his breath.

"No shit, Sherlock."

Giving Tony some moments for a freak out, Gibbs started the car and pulled out onto the street, keeping his lights off for a block before he ran into too much traffic to do that relatively safely. By then, Tony had pulled himself together.

"So now what, Gibbs?"

"Home."

"Casa de Gibbs? But Boss, if he… they… whoever… knew about my apartment, then they'll know that too!"

"We'll need some things, Tony. And I'd rather see for myself right now whether the house is still there or also going up in flames, than having to be told by a team of clueless agents a couple of hours from now."

Tony grumbled in the shadows of the back seat. Gibbs thought he heard something that sounded like 'thanks for reminding me, insensitive prick', but knew that couldn't be right. Tony would never say something like that to or about Gibbs. Taking out his phone and hitting another speed dial, glad Tony had shown him with infinite patience how to finally work the speaker function, Gibbs called Vance again and laid out what they had found at Tony's apartment. After a moment of silence, Vance's voice sounded through the tinny speaker, a touch of sympathy actually evident.

"You okay, DiNozzo?"

From the back seat, Tony spoke up. Despite his terse tone, both Gibbs and Vance heard the surprise Tony tried to keep hidden at the thought that Vance actually cared.

"I'll be fine, Director. Thanks for asking."

"Anything you need, DiNozzo, you ask."

"Yes, Sir."

Before this could turn into some mushy support group, Gibbs grunted and took back the conversation.

"Leon!"

They both heard Vance snort on the other end of the line, and somehow, that made Tony feel a little bit better too. More normal, more like the way things were supposed to be.

"What's the plan, Gibbs?"

"On the way to my house now, see if it's still standing. If it is, DiNozzo and I'll grab a few things, and come straight to the Yard after. Think that's the safest place for him now. Get Balboa to Tony's place, send a team to check out my house for bombs or traps."

Vance wasted no time.

"I agree. Let me know when you get to your place, I'll get a team ready to go over it and guard it after."

Then a though struck Leon.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought you said earlier that this was about DiNozzo. Should I now request security for your entire team?"

"No. This is just about him."

"Then… why would your house be at risk?"

Gibbs sighed. He heard nothing but silence from the back seat. Gibbs adopted one of his most sarcastic tones.

"Tony stays with me sometimes, Leon… Like when there's something wrong with his apartment?"

After a short moment, Vance was back to planning.

"Alright, so this might be an attempt to get DiNozzo into your house. Why?"

This time, Tony did offer his opinion, loudly enough for both other men to hear.

"Easier access!"

Gibbs and Vance grunted in agreement, then Vance ended the call with some last advice.

"I'll get a team ready for your house and call Balboa about Tony's place. Let me know what you find at your house, Gibbs. And gentlemen… be careful."

Gibbs circled his house a few times, having left the car with Tony still inside a couple of blocks back, and while he didn't actually see any proof, Gibbs' gut was telling him the house was being watched. Using his knowledge of the house and its surroundings, and of course his training, Gibbs easily slipped through the darkest shadows and up to the back door without being spotted. There was a reason Gibbs enjoyed being in the back yard, and it had nothing to do with mowing or pruning, but everything to do with exploring his territory, owning the passageways and entering them and breaching the perimeter and… Gibbs grunted quietly at himself. Now he was starting to ramble like Tony, get distracted, even if it was only in his own mind. 

Focus back on the task at hand, Gibbs quietly and stealthily made his way through his house, packing an extra bag of clothes. NCIS would provide anything they needed, but Gibbs knew how Tony felt about his clothes and knew the coming few days would be tough on the younger man if they were going to play out as Gibbs suspected. So he packed what he could for Tony, anything to make him feel more comfortable, and meanwhile did a preliminary search for traps. Gibbs was just crossing the living room to make his way back outside, when his phone started ringing. Before he could curse the lighting up of the screen of the phone on his belt, or the fact that he hadn't thought it necessary to turn it off, Gibbs hit the deck. And just in time, because less than two seconds later, bullets were decimating the front of the house where he had been visible only a moment before.

Tony heard the sound of gunshots from where he was still hiding on the back seat of the car. No way! No, he'd told Gibbs! This wasn't happening! Without any regard for his own safety or person, he crawled over into the driver's seat and made Gibbs' own driving look meek in comparison as he sped his way to where he knew Gibbs would be.

Only about a minute later - a very long minute, if you were to ask either of them later - Tony was shouting and Gibbs was hanging onto his seat and a duffel bag was in the back of the car, and then they started laughing as the frantic energy wore off a little.

"You okay, Boss?"

"Fine, Tony. Not a scratch. Drive."

"Driving, Boss."

Gibbs grinned.

"Pretty fine driving, too."

Tony grinned back.

"Yeah? You liked that?"

"Mighty impressive, Tony."

"Thanks, Jethro."

"And of course, Pickering's stupid azaleas have never looked better."

For a second, Tony looked confused, but then he remembered swerving through one of the neighbors' gardens to avoid the flying bullets, and the old man across the road was always extremely vocal about the exceptionality of his azaleas. Tony played back the moment of driving straight through those flower beds in his mind, and softly began chuckling. Gibbs joined him, quietly. 

"Those poor flowers."

"I know, I feel guilty."

"We murdered them."

"Well, you did. You're driving."

"But you yelled at me to swerve."

"True. Maybe I should take some responsibility."

"I think you should, Jethro."

"Fine then. We'll go to Vance, confess to the murder of the azaleas jointly. He'll get us off."

Tony suddenly sounded serious.

"Since when has that been a fantasy of yours, Boss?"

Not fooled for a single second, Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head.

"Get us off the murder charges, DiNozzo!"

They briefly turned to each other, in a car riddled with bullet holes, both their properties completely messed up, feeling like they had nothing left at that moment but the clothes on their backs and a single duffle bag in the car, and they started laughing out loud.

While Tony drove them to the Yard, Gibbs called Vance again to report what had happened. The damaged car and the heads-up from the Director ensured swift passage through the gates and security, and a few minutes later, they were both settled in Vance's office, fresh coffee with a large splash of bourbon added in their hands, reporting everything in detail. When they came back down, they found not only McGee and Ziva in the bullpen, but Abby, Ducky and Jimmy as well. Undergoing Abby's concerned hug with infinite patience for a few moments, Gibbs then directed her at Tony so she could shower her care on him instead. Tony was more comfortable with such things, even if Gibbs could stand it from Abby better than from almost anyone else. As she was hugging Tony, Gibbs grunted.

"Alright, people. We've got a situation."

They all turned to him, and Tony extracted himself from Abby's hug, knowing that the explanation of what was going on would fall to him. Gibbs would never be able to say the many words needed to explain everything in one go. Gibbs grinned at him as Tony started talking to inform their team.

"So, first there was the crime scene where someone shot at me, then the company car blew up while I was in it, and then my own suddenly developed brake-deficiency. My place was set on fire and Gibbs' place was shot up, as was our car when we were getting away. Obviously a sniper of some sort was there."

"Bad sniper."

Tony grinned at Gibbs' comment.

"Yes, Boss. A very bad sniper. After all, who in their right mind would dare shoot at you? Bad boy… or girl."

Gibbs quirked his lips.

"Bad as in incompetent, DiNozzo."

Tony grinned wider.

"I know what you meant, Boss. But then again, I was doing some pretty fancy driving."

"Those poor azaleas."

Everyone stared at them incredulously as they chuckled at each other. Gibbs cleared his throat.

"I would've hit us."

"Yes, you would have, Boss. But then, you always manage to find your target and hit it unrelentingly."

"And don't you just love that."

"I do, Boss. I really do. And thank you for that."

More chuckles as their eyes sparkled at each other. Then Ducky called for their attention.

"Gentlemen… I am not certain you are treating this with the seriousness it deserves. If someone is after young Anthony, should we not take some precautions?"

Sobering, Gibbs nodded.

"Tony's staying here. Me too. Safest place, probably."

Tony chimed in.

"We don't think any of you are in danger, but of course, we'd prefer it if you all stayed here as well. Not just to help us find out who's behind this, but for your own safety."

Ziva eyed him for a moment.

"Something must have happened recently for this to happen now. Someone from a recent case? Or something different in your personal life, Tony?"

Without even thinking about it, Tony shook his head.

"No changes with regard to my love-life, Ziva. Still the same and very happy about it."

They all stared at him, but his eyes were fixed on an unseen point in space, and he failed to notice their questioning looks. McGee spoke up next.

"Recent cases? Piss anyone off when we didn't see it, Tony?"

Again, Tony shook his head, his eyes still staring into nothingness. Gibbs squinted, stepped up to Tony and cupped his hand on the back of Tony's neck.

"What're you thinking, Tony. Talk it out."

At last, Tony's gaze focused on Gibbs, and he gave a soft smile.

"That's always easier with basement, boat and bourbon, Jethro."

Gibbs smiled too, pushed Tony back into his chair, then settled on the edge of Tony's desk, facing half-away from him.

"No basement or boat here. Bourbon upstairs, if you want me to ask Vance for another shot."

Hearing Tony's chuckle, Gibbs smiled again.

"Ignore everything, Tony. Talk to me."

Tony was silent for long moments, and Gibbs could picture him in his mind, resting his forearms on his knees, pretending to hold a jar of bourbon, pretending to be sitting on the basement stairs and watching Gibbs sand the boat. They were both grateful everyone stayed quiet, curiously watching their exchange with wide eyes. Eventually, Tony spoke.

"Cases? No. There hasn't been a case recently where I was the one to piss someone off. Didn't do any interrogations lately, letting Ziva and McGee do those to practice. Didn't cuff anyone, didn't hurt anyone."

McGee and Ziva frowned at those words, but acknowledged they were true.

"Love-life? You know I haven't, Boss."

They all stared at him at that, but Tony's eyes were closed and he didn't see it. Gibbs just nodded.

"I…"

Gibbs grunted when Tony stayed silent.

"What, Tony?"

Tony swallowed.

"I… got an e-mail from Senior a few weeks ago."

Gibbs tensed.

"About?"

"Money, Boss."

"You didn't tell me."

It wasn't a question, and everyone spotted it.

"Didn't want to. Wasn't pleasant."

"What'd he say?"

Tony swallowed, eyes still closed, clearly oblivious to the fact that it wasn't just Gibbs listening this time.

"Usual. Meet up, make up. Make amends."

"And…?"

"And then he started talking about an inheritance. When I didn't respond to his first message, I got another one. More explicit, more demanding. Wanted to meet, demanded to meet. Said no. He was adamant. Started sending messages a couple of times a day, more insistent every time. Called me too."

Gibbs, McGee and Ziva shuddered. They had all seen Tony glance at his phone or his e-mail over the past few weeks, had seen his eyes cloud over with sadness and worry, then sigh and either hit Decline or Delete.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's MY Dad, Gibbs. I can handle him."

Gibbs sighed.

"You're not alone, Tony."

Tony looked up for the first time since Gibbs had pushed him into his chair, and fixed his gaze on the older man solidly.

"I know, Jethro."

They stared at each other for a few moments, then Gibbs nodded and turned away again. Tony closed his eyes, returning to his earlier position. Gibbs gave him a few seconds before he spoke again.

"So… Inheritance?"

"My Mom's, apparently. Very well hidden. Even I didn't know about it. Not until Dad mailed. The Paddingtons held it until my fortieth birthday, and they've been arranging to sign it over to me for the past few months. My cousin Crispian didn't see the need to hurry too much with that, or inform me of it. Great guy, my cousin."

Tony winced, and Gibbs added another name to the little list he kept in his mind of people who hurt Tony and he'd love to have a quiet word with.

"Substantial?"

When Tony remained silent for long moments, Gibbs shifted on the desk to look at him again. At last, Tony looked up at him, and his eyes showed both wonder and fear. He nodded, then cleared his throat.

"You don't think…?"

Gibbs' gaze softened, and his voice was quiet.

"You obviously thought it. It was the first thing that came to your mind."

Tony shook his head.

"No. No, Jethro. My Dad may be many things, but he's not…"

He couldn't bring himself to actually say it. Gibbs reached out and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure he isn't. But we should check into a link there. Maybe he told someone? Or maybe it's all about something else altogether. Can you think of anything else that might be the cause of this?"

Gibbs saw the hope in Tony's eyes fade away when his brain searched for something, anything else that would have happened or changed in the last couple of months that could explain the attempts on his life, and he couldn't find it. He rubbed his hands over his face, and stood up abruptly, rushing to the bathroom. Gibbs waited until the door had closed behind Tony, staring after him with concerned eyes, then turned to his team.

"You can go home, or stay here."

McGee's voice was soft but sincere. 

"Of course we're staying, Boss. See if we can find anything."

As the others nodded their agreement, Gibbs lifted his chin in approval, then looked to the closed bathroom door again.

"Keep an eye on him, McGee. I'm going for coffee."

When Gibbs disappeared into the elevator, McGee took his spot on Tony's desk so he could keep an eye on the bathroom door, and the others gathered closer around him.

"Do we really think Tony's Dad could be behind this?"

"I don't know, Abby. I don't think his father would order a hit on Tony, but Gibbs may have had a point. Senior could have said something about the inheritance to someone, and we all know he has some shady contacts who wouldn't hesitate to go after Tony for the money."

"You might be right about that, Agent McGee."

They all startled when Vance leaned into view over the partition and joined the conversation. Ducky looked at him.

"What do you suggest we do, Director?"

"Ms. Sciuto, Agent Balboa's probie is on his way here with the wreck of DiNozzo's car and the evidence collected at the scene. I suggest you get to the evidence garage and prepare for his return. Perhaps Mr. Palmer can assist you. Doctor Mallard, if Agent McGee can provide you with these e-mails and perhaps the calls from DiNozzo's father, could you go through them to see if you can discover anything in those? Agents McGee and David, check up on Senior's whereabouts and activities, and, just in case, also go through your recent cases to see if you can find anything in those. Balboa's team is at DiNozzo's apartment and they and the team I sent to Gibbs' house should be back later tonight with more evidence. See what you can find."

They all nodded, and before Abby and Palmer left while Ziva returned to her desk, and Ducky settled at Gibbs desk for a moment to wait for McGee to provide the e-mails from Senior, Vance thanked them all for staying. He saw that while they appreciated the sentiment, none of them had ever thought of leaving, and he smiled to himself for the loyalty of this team. Then he turned to McGee, and gestured to the bathroom door.

"Go check on him, McGee."

"Of course, Director."

Tony sighed when he heard the bathroom door open. He'd hoped he would have a few more minutes to pull himself together. The thought that his father could have something to do with all this had made his stomach flip, and the coffee and bourbon he'd had in Vance's office earlier had made an unwelcome return. He'd splashed water on his face and rinsed his mouth, but he was still trembling and pale, his fingers gripping the counter so tightly his knuckles were white.

"You okay, Tony?"

Glancing at his friend and partner, Tony tried to smile at McGee, but failed. His carefree mask refused to settle over his face, and Tony knew it. In the end, he decided on honesty.

"Not really, Tim."

Not knowing what to say, McGee leaned against the counter next to Tony and squeezed his shoulder. This time, Tony managed a little smile in thanks for the silent support.

"We're all here for you, Tony."

Releasing his death grip on the counter, Tony patted McGee's hand on his shoulder, and nodded.

"Thank you, Tim."

"You know we'll have to check on your father…"

"I know, I know. And I can't be part of it. I'm sure Gibbs has a nice big stack of cold case files ready for me for just this occasion. He's probably just been waiting for an opportunity to dump them on me."

They grinned at each other, and it felt a little more normal. Tony straightened.

"Alright, McFriend. Back to the salt mines. Or the bullpen, whatever. Let's go."

When Gibbs returned, he found McGee and Ziva hard at work, and Ducky at his desk pouring over prints of e-mails. He nodded to himself. He'd already found Abby and Palmer in the evidence garage where he'd delivered her a CafPow and Palmer a coffee, and now placed coffee in front of McGee and Ziva and tea for Ducky. When Tony glanced up at him, he noticed the younger man was still looking a little pale, and he handed him a large cup. Tony sniffed at it and then smiled. Hot chocolate. Gibbs knew him so well. 

"You okay, Tony?"

"I will be. I don't suppose you've got a shot of rum to add to this delicious drink?"

"I could go raid the bar in Vance's office."

Tony grinned.

"Really? You'd risk a breaking and entering charge just for me?"

"Already up for murder of azaleas, remember? A little B&E seems petty compared to that."

"Think we would get conjugal visits?"

"We could probably arrange to share a cell. You're guilty of the murder of azaleas as well. It'd be just like home."

"Fair point. I don't think they'd let you build a boat in your cell, though."

Gibbs pretended to think about that for a moment, then nodded.

"Let's not get caught then. I'd hate to have to dig a basement in our cell just to make us feel at home."

Tony smiled, and looked a little more like himself. 

"You're right. Maybe we can offer to replace the azaleas, and Pickering won't press charges."

"Nah. I hate those things. We'll just explain they fell in the line of duty, offer to give them a medal."

"That'd probably work. He's always saying they're prize-winning anyway. I think the medals are all he cares about."

Gibbs chuckled, and gave Tony a soft tap to the back of his head.

"Haven't you got any work to do?"

"Yes, Boss. I'm just writing my report about everything that's happened."

"Good. And when you're done with that…?"

"I'm guessing you have cold cases for me?"

"Good guess, DiNozzo. Knew I hired you for something."

Tony groaned for show, but he was smiling still.

"Yes, Boss."

Both of them ignored the questioning looks of Ziva, McGee and Ducky, who had followed the entire exchange with curiosity and wonder, and as Tony turned back to his computer and reports, Gibbs went upstairs to talk to Vance.

Several hours later, Gibbs looked around the bullpen from behind his desk and smiled. He'd sent Palmer home to Breena and Ducky to check on his mother, and Abby was sleeping in her lab on her futon. In the bullpen, his agents were catching a few winks on the floor behind their desks. Gibbs quietly got up and settled on the floor next to Tony's desk, resting his back against the side of it and stretching his legs out in front of him. He reached out and brushed his hand through Tony's hair softly. The hazel green eyes opened sleepily, and with a smile, Tony moved so he could settle his head on Gibbs' thigh, sighing when those calloused fingers continued brushing through his hair. They spoke softly to each other, not wanting to wake the others.

"You okay, Tony?"

"Feeling pretty good right now."

Gibbs smiled at him.

"I'm not okay. I still don't believe my Dad has anything to do with this, but I can't think of anything else. It's driving me crazy."

"Maybe you should call him?"

Tony thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

"If it's someone he's connected to, that could put him in danger."

It was something they had all discussed earlier, and Gibbs had to admit it was a possibility.

"Abbs find anything yet?"

"Not yet. She's sleeping now too."

Tony looked guilty, and Gibbs sighed, then lightly pulled at Tony's hair.

"Hey… what's that look for?"

"It's my fault they're all here, Jethro, sleeping on floors instead of in their own beds."

"You'd do the same."

"Of course! But I don't need to, do I? When are any of them ever in trouble? It's always me…"

Gibbs chuckled softly.

"I remember all of them being in trouble once or twice, and you sleeping here many times, Tony. How do you always forget these things?"

Tony's sleepy eyes stared up at him.

"Go back to sleep, Tony. I'll be here when you wake up."

"M'kay. Thanks, Jethro."

"Sleep, my boy."

And as Gibbs kept stroking through his hair, he saw and felt Tony fall asleep again a few moments later, thankful that he was able to settle Tony like this.

McGee woke up when his computer dinged to signal a result on a search. Hazy from sleep, he rubbed his eyes with his fingers and looked around. Across the bullpen, he could just make out Ziva's face, her head resting on her arms as she slept behind her desk. Turning to the left, he saw Tony on his side behind his own desk, his head resting on Gibbs' thigh while the Boss slept sitting up against the side of Tony's desk. One of Gibbs' hands was entangled in Tony's hair, the other resting lightly on Tony's side. Turning to his computer, McGee checked which of his searches had come up with a result, then froze. Turning back again, he stared at Gibbs and Tony in wonder, then his eyes widened as Gibbs' blue orbs opened and stared at him.

"What'd you find, McGee?"

Flustered, McGee checked his screens again.

"Uhm…"

Blushing a little, McGee kept his eyes glued to his monitor. He definitely wasn't going to look over to Gibbs and Tony again. Their position looked… intimate, and McGee just didn't know what to think about that.

"What, McGee."

Gibbs' gruff order shook him out of his surprise.

"I found Senior. He's in Stockholm, and it looks like he's coming back here tomorrow. There's a plane ticket to DC booked in his name."

"What's he doing in Stockholm?"

Tony's voice was sleepy, but he'd apparently awoken in time to hear McGee's search results. Tony moved and stretched, and Gibbs got up and stretched as well. Ziva seemed to notice the movement and woke up too.

"I don't know. Yet. What's in Stockholm that would interest your father?"

Now that they were both standing and there was a little distance between them, McGee dared look at Tony again.

"No idea. I didn't know they had anything in Stockholm."

From across the bullpen, Ziva chimed in.

"Were the Nobel prizes not awarded this weekend? Those are in Stockholm, yes?"

McGee quickly typed a search, and confirmed. 

"They were. Any idea what connection your father would have to the Nobel prizes, Tony?"

Tony looked just as puzzled as the rest of them, and shook his head. Gibbs grunted.

"When's Senior arriving, McGee?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, Boss. I have the flight details right here."

They all leaned in to check McGee's screen, and Gibbs nodded. 

"Send it to Vance. I'll have him have a team standing by at the airport to pick Senior up. Got anything else?"

"Not yet, Boss."

"You and Ziva go wake up Abby. DiNozzo and I'll go get coffee and breakfast and talk to Vance when he comes in."

As Tony retreated to the bathroom to splash water in his face and change his shirt, Gibbs drank the last drags of his cold coffee, and Ziva and McGee stepped onto the elevator to go down to Abby. McGee seemed contemplative, and after a moment, Ziva turned to him.

"What is it, McGee?"

But McGee just shook his head, lost in thought. When they arrived in the basement at Abby's lab, Ziva shrugged and stepped ahead of him. They found Abby already awake and encouraging her babies, her music blaring and a CafPow in her hands. Smiling at the cheerful goth, Ziva spoke.

"Do you have anything, Abby?"

Abby swirled around to them, and grinned.

"Do I have anything? I have tons! Tons of evidence, that is! Balboa came in earlier with everything from Tony's apartment, and my babies are analyzing as we speak! I'm sure we'll find something! And I heard that the other team will be coming in any moment now with all the evidence from Gibbs' place, so then I'll have even more! More to do, that is! And I heard that they're even bringing me some azaleas that got damaged in the daring escape Gibbs and Tony made…"

Her voice trailed off when she saw McGee's face.

"Timmy?"

McGee shook himself as he found the two women staring at him in question.

"Come on, McGee. Tell us what is going on."

He shook his head.

"Nothing! Nothing."

"Timmy…"

Abby's voice was somehow both sweet and threatening, and McGee gave up.

"It's crazy, okay? I don't know what I was thinking."

"McGee!"

Ziva's voice was definitely not sweet, but very threatening. McGee held up his hands.

"Okay, okay! Don't kill me!"

"What's churning in that big brain of yours, McGee? Something about Tony's Dad?"

McGee shuffled his feet, then cleared his throat. At last he looked up at them again.

"No… something about Tony actually. And Gibbs."

The two women tilted their heads and looked at him with a curious expression. He swallowed.

"I… It might be nothing, okay? You remember yesterday? That weird talk Tony and Gibbs had about killing azaleas and conjugal visits in jail? And the way Tony wanted to be in the basement when talking things through, and how Gibbs put his hand on Tony's neck? And that Tony was calling Gibbs Jethro?"

They nodded when they played back the conversation in their minds.

"And then just now I woke up, and Tony was sleeping with his head in Gibbs' lap, and Gibbs was… well, let's just say his hands were on Tony where he usually doesn't put his hands."

Abby and Ziva's eyes widened. 

"McGee! You cannot seriously think…"

"I haven't had time to really think anything, Ziva! I just… there's something going on."

But just then the elevator dinged, and Agent Slade stepped into Abby's lab carrying bullets and casings and crushed azaleas from Gibbs' place, and the three turned their attention back to the case of who was trying to kill Tony and processing the evidence.

They all shared the breakfast and coffee Gibbs and Tony brought back to the bullpen, Ducky, Palmer and Vance joining them on their return, and they listened to Balboa as he updated Tony on the state of his apartment.

"It's really not that bad, Tony. The damage was mostly in the living room, but nothing really got badly burned. The kitchen, bathroom and bedroom are fine, just some smoke damage. I'm sure your suits will be fine once you have them cleaned."

Tony sighed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Tony…"

Tony looked up at Balboa at the questioning tone.

"How can you live like that? I thought you'd had that apartment for years, but there was nothing much there, really. No pictures, no DVDs. I thought you loved your movies, man."

Tony swallowed and glanced at Gibbs, then smiled brightly at Balboa.

"I'm in the process of moving. Lucky break, I guess. Most of my stuff is already at my other place. I didn't have time or room to move everything yet, so some of my stuff was still at my old place."

Balboa smirked, and the others looked at Tony questioningly, not having heard anything about this.

"Whatever, man. Keep your secrets. I expect you to invite me to your new place though, if you ever really move in there."

Tony grinned at Balboa.

"Of course! There'll be a big party and everything!"

Snorting, Balboa clamped his hand on Tony's shoulder, his eyes humorous but sympathetic.

"Sorry about your place, man. I hope everything will be sorted soon."

"Thanks."

And with a nod, Balboa took his leave to go get some sleep after a long night.

The rest of the day was spent processing evidence, doing searches, and speculating wildly, and for Tony there were cold cases. But no one really hid anything from him, and he participated as much as he could in the theories that flew back and forth between the team with every new piece of information that came up, either from Abby or from McGee or Ziva. Even Vance had put out some feelers, and came to report in the early afternoon that his contacts had assured him there was no hit out on Tony from any of the other agencies. While a relief, that only strengthened the idea that it had something to do with Senior, and that did not sit well with any of them. 

In the afternoon, Ducky came to the bullpen to share his findings about the e-mails and calls McGee had procured for him. 

"I think we might unfortunately be on the right track, Jethro."

"What do you have, Duck?"

"Well, in this message, Anthony's father speaks of an investment of a time-sensitive nature, and attempts to pressure him into ensuring the inheritance is delivered to him shortly. This was sent only a few days before the Nobel prize event, and could mean that it has something to do with that, though I do not see how influencing the Nobel prizes might be beneficial to Mr. DiNozzo. He does mention a name, though…"

"What name, Ducky?"

McGee's fingers were already poised over the keyboard, ready to do a search on whatever name Ducky gave. The search yielded that this was indeed one of the winners of a Nobel prize the previous weekend.

"But what does this have to do with anything?"

Tony almost shouted in frustration.

"Nobel prizes aren't like the Oscars! You can't bet on them! It's already known who will get them, it's not like the results are announced on the evening itself. And this guy won it for some kind of medicine that was already invented and has been in use for many years! What could this possibly have to do with my inheritance?"

No matter how much they speculated and theorized, they just couldn't come up with a reason. They were all frustrated and tired, and Tony grunted through his reading of the cold case files Gibbs had stacked on his desk. 

A few hours after dinner, Tony was yawning and squinting his tired eyes at the files. 

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"Get some sleep."

Looking at his teammates and knowing that Abby, Ducky and Palmer were still working downstairs, Tony shrugged.

"I'm good, Boss. I've got another couple of hours in me."

Gibbs got up and walked over to Tony's desk, putting his hand on the back of Tony's neck and squeezing softly.

"Get some sleep, Tony. Your laptop's in the duffel."

Staring up at Gibbs with a grateful expression, Tony smiled.

"Okay, Jethro."

Finding his laptop and powering it up, Tony placed it so he could watch it from his spot on the floor behind his desk. Turning the sound down low, Tony selected a couple of movies to play on a loop, and settled on the floor with another small smile at Gibbs. Within seconds, he was asleep.

McGee and Ziva watched the exchange and stared at each other for a moment, only to be interrupted by another bark from Gibbs.

"Go check with Abby!"

Once in the elevator, Ziva turned to eye McGee speculatively.

"I think you are right, McGee."

"You saw that, right?! You saw that!"

"I did, McGee."

As soon as they stepped into Abby's lab, she started babbling at them about her results, but McGee cut her off.

"Put up the bullpen feed, Abbs."

Abby looked at him guiltily.

"I don't have a bullpen feed, McGee."

He snorted.

"Yes, you do. Put up the sound too."

Sighing in defeat, she did as asked, and the three of them watched as Gibbs stared at a sleeping Tony. It was only a few minutes before Gibbs looked around the by then empty bullpen, and moved to Tony's desk. Having called Ducky and Palmer, they all watched as Gibbs settled against Tony's desk again, and brushed his hand through the other man's hair. Tony opened his eyes and scooted over to rest his head on Gibbs' thigh.

"Where are the others?"

"Sent them down to Abby."

Tony snuggled into Gibbs' lap with a satisfied soft moan. They were silent for a few moments before Tony spoke again.

"Don't kill him, Jethro."

Gibbs snorted even as he continued stroking his hand through Tony's hair.

"I won't."

"Don't hit him either. Please?"

"Thinking about it."

"Please, Jethro?"

Gibbs sighed.

"It's pretty clear this has to do with him, my boy."

"Still… please? Let him explain?"

Now Gibbs was clearly angry.

"Explain? He set hit men onto you, Tony! Even if he didn't mean to, that's unacceptable."

For a moment they were both silent, then Gibbs' voice sounded quietly again.

"Do you have any idea how devastated I would be if anything happened to you?"

Tony turned a little so he could look up at Gibbs, but before he could say anything, Gibbs leaned back his head and closed his eyes, but kept stroking through Tony's hair.

"It'd kill me, Tony."

Tony swallowed.

"Don't say that."

They were silent for a long time before Tony spoke again.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs hummed.

"Kiss me?"

"We're in the office, Tony."

"I'm being chased by killers, and I'm going to jail for killing prize-winning azaleas. You're probably going to kill my father tomorrow. There's no one here. I need a kiss."

Tony sat up and stared at Gibbs.

"Please?"

Gibbs smiled a soft smile the team had never seen on his face before, then took Tony into his arms and pulled him close.

"Don't beg, Tony. You never need to."

"Seems like I do."

Gibbs brushed his fingers over Tony's cheek, then shook his head.

"No, you don't, my beautiful boy."

And then Gibbs pressed his lips softly to Tony's, after long moments devouring his mouth with his lips and tongue. Down in the lab, Abby squealed and Ziva smiled, while McGee couldn't turn his eyes away from the screen. In Autopsy, Ducky and Palmer high-fived each other, smiling broadly. Clearing his throat after a moment, Ducky spoke into the comms.

"It seems young Timothy was right, Abigail. Isn't that just… marvelous?"

The following morning, Tony was a little unnerved by all the sly smiles his team kept throwing at him. The situation with his father was nothing to smile about, and he worried they were all downplaying the seriousness of the situation. Abby found prints on the shells from Gibbs' place, McGee finally found the connection between Senior and the Nobel prizes - it was a bet after all, but a bet on the stock market regarding the soaring in medicine prices when the inventor won the prize - and Ziva identified the hit man from a picture Abby found from the prints. By the time the team Vance had sent brought in Senior, the hit man was already in custody, and Gibbs had glared him into a confession in exchange for a deal on some of his other murders.

Senior looked apprehensive when he was led into the bullpen and found his son's team crowded around the boy in a protective stance. He smiled at Abby and Ziva, but neither flew into his arms as they had on previous occasions. Senior grinned at McGee, but the younger man didn't come forward and reach out his hand. Gibbs just glared at him, and this glare seemed more menacing than ever before. Senior didn't recognize the older gentleman and his boy toy, or the man staring down at them from the balcony, but tried to persuade them all with his charms anyway.

"Hello, everyone! How wonderful to see you again! If Junior took the trouble to answer my calls, I would know how you all are doing, but now we shall all have to have dinner together so you can tell me how you are!"

Senior was surprised when Abby crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"I'm busy."

Ziva was next.

"I shall have to decline also."

"Sorry, Mr. DiNozzo, but I think I have something else to do. I'll come up with something if you really need a reason."

McGee grinned when Senior looked at him questioningly.

Tony, at the back of the group, Ziva and McGee in front, Abby, Ducky and Palmer behind them, and Gibbs standing protectively right in front of Tony, couldn't decide whether he should smile or blush at the protection of his friends. 

"Junior…?"

Senior looked at Tony imploringly, and when Gibbs stepped forward, Tony put his hand on Gibbs' arm and held him back.

"You promised, Jethro."

"Still thinking about it, Tony."

A voice called out from the balcony above the bullpen.

"Agent Balboa!"

A formidable man in the other part of the bullpen stood and stretched.

"Yes, Director?"

Vance descended the stairs until he reached the tense team, Balboa coming to join them.

"This is Mr. DiNozzo, Tony's father. You've seen the research. Talk to him, will you, Agent Balboa?"

Having already connected the dots, Balboa took Senior's upper arm in a firm grip and started leading him down to Interrogation.

"My pleasure, Director."

After he'd watched his father being led away from the bullpen to answer some serious questions, Tony deflated, and Gibbs caught him by cupping his neck with his hand.

"Tony? You okay?"

Tony didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the question.

"Can you all please stop asking me that?"

Gibbs shook him lightly.

"Tony…"

"He didn't mean it, Gibbs. He didn't know…"

"And I'm sure that's what Balboa will find."

They stared at each other for a few moments, then Tony nodded. Gibbs spoke to his team without taking his eyes away from Tony.

"I think we all need some drinks. What's that bar you all go to sometimes?"

They all answered in unison, and Gibbs couldn't help a small grin.

"See you there in two hours. Reports can wait."

Vance grunted, but didn't disagree in light of the events.

When the third pitcher of beer and round of shots were delivered, the team grinned at Gibbs and Tony. Abby looked around the table.

"You all have them?"

They nodded and grinned back.

"Have what?"

Everyone produced a bag full of azaleas from beneath their seats and placed them on the table.

"We don't want you to go to jail, so we thought we'd help. I'm assured there are prize-winning, and match the killed ones Agent Slade brought me."

Abby explained it excitedly, and Tony couldn't help but laugh.

"Gibbs hates those things."

Abby pouted.

"I still don't want you to go to jail for it."

Then she smiled.

"But I'm sure Tony can persuade your neighbor into forgiving you if you present him with these."

Gibbs gave her a blank stare.

"What does Tony have to do with my neighbor?"

They all laughed. Ducky, seldom able to keep his mouth shut, elaborated.

"Oh, give it up, Jethro! You were caught red-handed!"

"Or red-lipped…"

They all glared at Palmer for that interjection, even if they did think it was correct.

"Abbs…"

Gibbs glared at her.

"It wasn't me, Bossman! McGee made me…"

Both Gibbs and Tony now glared at McGee, who showed his backbone grown courtesy of Tony and grinned back unrepentantly.

"Your 'new' place is Gibbs' house, isn't it, Tony? How long have you been living there?"

"Sleeping with the Boss, Tony? Could you not have found something more original to do?"

"Lusting after a younger man, Jethro? Really?"

"The visuals are seriously hot… can I watch sometime?"

"Uhm… congratulations to you both!"

Staring at their friends - their family - Gibbs and Tony tried to keep their expressions neutral, but then they broke and smiled. They turned to each other, and this time it was Tony who put his hand on the back of Gibbs' neck, drawing him in for a soft kiss, before turning back to their team. Tony's warning was every bit as menacing as Gibbs could have made it, and the older man couldn't have been any prouder of his lover.

"We're never speaking of this again!"


End file.
